Why Zlatan Ibrahimovic Was PSG's Most Surprising Player in 2015/16

When you are talking about players who have surprised for Paris Saint-Germain this season, it’s possibly easier to pick those who didn’t quite live up to expectation, rather than any standout candidates. The name may be a shock in this sort of category, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic has to be the one player for Laurent Blanc’s team who surprised everyone with his contribution this season.

During the 2014/15 season, although PSG won a first-ever domestic quadruple and the Swede scored 19 times in 24 appearances, he wasn’t the dominant, indestructible figure that many would have you believe—and that, in part, is what makes this season such an incredible feat.

Even when you compare his first two years at the club to what he accomplished this season, they don’t even come close, plus he is two years older.

There were injuries to overcome, and perhaps Laurent Blanc was guilty of relying too heavily on his talismanic centre-forward. Often rushed back too early, he looked off the pace, he looked disinterested and he looked like a player who had enjoyed his day in the sun.

Anyone who had watched him constantly for PSG over the three seasons could see that he just wasn’t the same beast as before. However, after a summer of rest, given the chance to get back to full fitness and back into better physical strength, he quickly looked like a different player.

His sharpness has back, his hunger seemed to return, he looked like a man on a mission at times. Once again, when PSG needed a hero, Ibrahimovic was there to step up and make a difference.

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What was also more noticeable was a sense of self-awareness. Now, that doesn’t drip down to his ego and persona, but on the pitch, he knew what he was capable of and what he had to leave to others. He was still dropping deep, he still wanted to see as much of the ball as possible, but he didn’t need to be involved in every element of their play.

With the arrival of Angel Di Maria, PSG often broke down the pitch with pace and purpose. In the past, Ibrahimovic had still demanded the ball in these areas, often slowing down the attack. Now, he would happily provide the pass and let the younger, quicker players push forward at pace.

It worked extremely well, and it ended up benefiting the team and Zlatan himself. As the play developed, the forward would follow the attack and from his position outside the box, he would end up with chances to score. It’s hard to cope when you leave Ibrahimovic unmarked 20 yards from goal.

According to WhoScored.com, the forward finished with the highest rating of all outfield players, with 8.29. Di Maria, who enjoyed an excellent campaign, was second with 7.94.

This was Zlatan’s year. Scoring 38 league goals was his best return since joining the club, not only lifting him up to becoming PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer, but also beating Carlos Bianchi’s single-season record.

Di Maria led the league with 18 assists, but Ibra only finished five behind him, next on the PSG list was Blaise Matuidi and Javier Pastore with six. He enjoyed nearly double as many shots on goal than anyone else in the team and was given the Man of the Match award, according to WhoScored 14 times out of 31 games.

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Back in January, you would have had Serge Aurier down as a major contender for this award, but the right-back orchestrated his own downfall. The Ivorian had struggled during his season on loan in Paris, but once his deal was signed, he significantly stepped up his game.

Apart from his own off-field issues, there are still areas of his game that need to improve again next season—like his tendency to jump into tackles and commit himself too easily, but he is still very young and has a long road in front of him.

It is now up to Aurier to prove he can grow up and that he deserves this second chance that PSG and Blanc have given to him.

Based on performances over the past two campaigns, you could have built a case for Angel Di Maria. The Argentinian forward, who has made that right-wing spot in PSG’s 4-3-3 his own, enjoyed a fantastic season. His 18 assists were bettered by no one in Ligue 1 and were complemented by 10 goals in the league as well as crucial strikes in the UEFA Champions League.

However, as this was only his first year in France, it felt harsh to include his torrid time in Manchester. With Ibrahimovic leaving the club, the pressure will be on Angel to repeat his performances next season, and there will be a certain level of expectation that he can add even more to PSG’s creativity.

Adrien Rabiot would probably get the nod as the most improved youngster in the PSG squad.

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Going into the start of this campaign, no one at the club was quite convinced that Rabiot’s future was in Paris. He had undoubted quality on the ball, but was that worth the hassle of all the issues he brought off the pitch?

That question was answered when the club played their Champions League group game in Madrid. Marco Verratti’s injury against Real gave the youngster a chance in the first team. He was excellent and mature that night in Spain and the French under-21 international took the chance with both hands. He ended up starting 19 games in Ligue 1.

Although his red card against Lille in the Coupe de la Ligue final reaffirmed the lessons the curly haired midfielder still had to learn, he had done more than enough to back up his blossoming reputation.

You still want to see more from him in an attacking sense, but his left foot is gaining more and more confidence, and some of his passes were exquisite at times. There is much more to come from the 21-year-old.

This season though, was all about Ibrahimovic. Ending last season with 19 goals and six assists was a good return, but this year he has shown that he still has what it takes to not just compete, but to excel at this level.

Champions League glory still evades him, but he has broken every record possible at PSG, propelling the club up to elite status and as the man himself said, he arrived a King and has left a legend.